I suppose most of you know that Boho stands for Bohemian and I also believe that you don’t know the fact that this style has been around for more than 200 years. Impressive, isn’t it? That is why today we will cover the Boho style, its origins, elements and famous Boho icons that adopted and promoted the style, keeping it live over the centuries.
Origins and History
Boho fashion style originated in the early 1800s in France, after the end of the French Revolution (1789-1799). The style was generally associated with writers, artists and intellectuals. Having the old system in the society replaced, the artists were no longer supported by the wealthy clients, and were forced to live a minimalist lifestyle. Many of them adopted nomadic lifestyle, living cheaply, wearing worn out, unfashionable or used clothes.
Those were the beginnings of what nowadays we call Boho – a style known to represent a colorful counterculture that is based on creativity, poverty and indifference to social structures and traditions. Bohemians reject materialism and private property and they are often associated with the usage of alcohol and drugs, sexual freedom and centering their lives on art. The style has been known as boho chic, hippie style or aesthetic dress.
Over the centuries Boho Style Elements
The Bohemian style, nowadays popular as “Boho chic”, has come down through history, reappearing as beatnik style and the hippie style of the 1960s. Over the centuries, the style has consisted of several fashion elements that allow the individuals to express their desire to break away from any social norms and live by nothing but their own will.
- Loose, flowing clothing made of natural fabrics
- Less restrictive garments worn without corsets, bras or other restrictive elements
- Colorful scarves and round sunglasses
- Peasant style clothing including tunics, loose trousers, boots, and sandals
- Used, worn or patched clothing
- Oriental elements like robes and the ethnic designs of Persia, India, Turkey, and China
- Mixing historical elements of medieval clothing with ethnic styles
- Layering – lots and lots of layers of clothes
- Matching of garments in a nontraditional manner, mixing prints and unusual color combinations
- Multi strands of beads, several bangle bracelets and hand crafted jewelry
- Large dangle or large hoop earrings
- Broad brimmed hats
- Paisley, flowered fabrics, ruffles, lace edged sleeves
- A general disregard for tidiness and uniformity of dress
Most Famous Boho Style Icons
Having said that the Bohemian style is more than two centuries old, noticing every important person who adopted it, would make a very long list. That is why we will focus only on the hippie and post-hippie period here. Some of the most famous people who dressed in the Boho style are (were):
Janis Joplin
Steven Tyler
Johnny Deep
Kate Moss
Mischa Barton
